Reviews of Ecstasy

Sharp spicy top notes that include frankincense which isn't listed anywhere. There is sharp pine and green notes that smell a bit citrus-y. There is a haunting memory of "Aspen" by Coty here as well. Don't know if I'd wear it, but it is a creative fragrance.

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink notes lists frighten me a little – I’ve come across too many perfumes striving for complexity but collapsing instead under the muddle of their ingredients. I kept putting off trying Tiziana Terenzi’s range seeing the length of the listed notes. Ecstasy is my toe in the water.
And while it may not make me ecstatic it is a relief that it is so easy to wear and has some novel juxtapositions.
The start is what might call almost ‘traditional’ for avant perfumery – a fanfare of incense smoke (that all but vanishes soon after) followed by a daring dose of conifers. Ok that’s them ‘artisanal’ credentials established right there. But the audacity and success of what follows is to be commended.
While the pine remains the main theme, planted slap bang in the middle, the complimentary notes are unexpected – syrupy florals (with red roses blooming among them) and dried fruit. These shouldn’t work together and yet they seem to extend the range of the conifers, the forest as garden of the senses. At times the interplay of the notes give an oud-like impression - but soft and distant.
Well-composed but suffers from a certain solidity, which means that while it is good, it doesn’t quite have the zing of the great.

This is a scent that starts out with a nice pine note that has a dusty-balsamic undertone on my skin, and soon add a few floral components. In this drydown I get a spicy impression that mainly seems to be carried by a patchouli that is neither dark nor lightweight; a balanced patchouli without excessive sharpness. Another distinct feature is a pleasant and quite natural violet is a hint of a dark rose.

Following a not uncommon pattern, the base notes are the most base-ic: woodsy, in a nigh-generic way with a fairly pedestrian vanilla - that is a disappointing end.

On me the performance is middle-of-the-road: moderate sillage, adequate projection and six hours of longevity: neither bad nor excellent - as is the overall impression this opus of niche perfumery has on me. 2.5/5

Resinous-mossy opening with pine needles and fir balsam, green-woody notes, oud or guaiac notes (may be that "soil tincture", whatever that is?), a floral-balsamic note and other flowers I do not detect individually (I only get violet clearly, with its characteristic soapy-silky-creamy feel) which however create a velvey, crisp, lively, spring-y accord which acts decently as counterpart for the mossy side and the dark woods base. I also smell amber and perhaps some orange blossom notes, something halfway floral and fruity with hesperidic notes. Quite pleasant, globally: the juxtaposition between floral-balsamic notes and resinous-mossy-woody ones is nice and well-made. It does not evolve that much, it mainly gets just progressively drier and darker, making the dark dry base emerge with increasing strenght (even more convinced it's just an artificial oud-like accord). Pleasant, but a bit "mute" and uninspired to me.

If Gold Rose Oudh was a marvellous refined rose/oudh combo Ecstasy is a mystic rose/incense accord so aromatic and velvety. Simply a divine (almost esoteric) concoction extremely balanced and magistrally executed by the talented Nose Mr. Paolo Terenzi. The incensey rose is soon heady and boise (freshly aromatic and piney) but is a rose that you do not expect, being indeed not properly (classically) dusty/incensey/floral but more unconventionally creamy/incensey/soapy despite some typically dusty elements present in the top as stone powder and frankincense. I suppose the forest resins play an influencing role while the amber presence gets immediately to perform its enveloping (resinous) power (powder) providing a sort of creamy/soapy consistency enveloping all the elements. Probably (minimal) hints of resinous oudh give support to this holy process pairing in quality "sacre" rose/oud/incense "monsters" as Amouage Homage (with an accord conjuring me slightly in a far far better way an unfortunately unbalanced and cloying Alyssa Ashley Oud Pour Lui). The outcome is so subtle, floral, delicate and softly mild, something really to die for. The violet touch is perfectly integrated in the atmosphere (accessorial to talks, incenses and creams) but the rose is prevaling for sure. There is anyway a sort of natural cosmetical soapy vibe in the air which is reinforced by powdery woods and musks while the incensey vibe is throughout lingering with its soapy/musky-fresh temperament. The dry down is simply impeccable, so ethereal, balmy/musky, piney and creamy/incensey. Do some saffron provides to enhance and exalt the fresh woody vibe from the forest? The aroma is supposed to arouse the power (the spiritual and ritual power) of fire but in my opinion the general vibe is more properly musky/soapy/resinous than incensey/bursting a la Norma Kamali Incense or stuffs like that. There is a lingering burnt incense flavour for sure around but is balanced and well integrated in the general musky/aromatic and incensey/ambery atmosphere. I really appreciate Ecstasy and all the Tiziana Terenzi's creations and in this case the aroma embodies an example of how to implement with wisdom and magistral art the note of incense in perfumery in a way that the final outcome is something dreamy/etheral and extremely equilibrated, succeeding on a sliding sphere over which many previous incense/oud combos failed before for a balancement limits overcoming. The dry down is silky as the skin of a baby Heaven's angel and rounded by a secret tobacco touch a la Piguet Casbah. Unisex. Excellent packaging, excellent projection, excellent longevity as usual. Italian aromatic art at its best. Compliments.